Edward Snowden: Job ‘granted me access’

National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden sought his position at Booz Allen Hamilton specifically to gather information about the NSA’s surveillance programs, according to a new report.

“My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked,” Snowden told the South China Morning Post in an interview published on Monday. “That is why I accepted that position about three months ago.”

Snowden traveled to Moscow from Hong Kong, where he had camped out as his leaks went public over the past several weeks. He is expected to travel to South America, by way of Cuba, though his final destination is unclear. On Sunday, Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño told The Associated Press that Snowden was seeking asylum there, while WikiLeaks officials told reporters that Iceland was another option. The United States had hoped that Snowden could have been turned over to law enforcement while in Hong Kong and has signaled an expectation that other countries, including Russia, be helpful in returning him to America.

Monday morning, Snowden was reportedly set to take off from Moscow bound for Havana, Cuba, but the flight departed without Snowden on board, according to a number of journalists on the flight.

“We are aware of where Mr. Snowden is, he is in a safe place and his spirits are high,” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told reporters. “Due to the bellicose threats coming from the U.S. administration, we cannot go into further detail on that at this time.”

The AP confirmed with an airline representative that Snowden did not take the flight.

ABC News reported that Snowden was booked on Aeroflot Flight 150, scheduled to take off from Moscow at 2:05 p.m. Snowden checked in for the flight, an ABC News reporter said, but he was not seen during boarding.